


Special

by Hyacinthium



Series: Oumasai/Saiou Week Au [7]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Awkward Conversations, Family Feels, House Hunting, It's over and just started, M/M, Meeting the Parents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-24
Updated: 2018-06-24
Packaged: 2019-05-27 22:49:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15035045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hyacinthium/pseuds/Hyacinthium
Summary: Kokichi actually meets his in-laws for the first time in years. There's a lot to talk about, especially when Shuichi's parents work in real estate stuff now. The joys of house hunting and lingering regrets.





	Special

**Author's Note:**

> Day Seven, Confessions and Post Game.

Kokichi closes his eyes. The sounds of Shuichi being teased by his mother flow out from the kitchen. It's near sickeningly domestic, so much that Kokichi wants to run in and start embarrassing Shuichi too. Point out the rings and show off the shine and tiny rocks there. All economical and ethical materials, because Kokichi and Shuichi are huge moral snobs, the kind that cry watching documentaries about nature. Gonta can safely be blamed for that. 

“A fixer upper, huh?” he mutters into his palm. “We'd probably do a lot of personalized stuff to any kind of property anyway…”

He opens his eyes and looks at the graying old man in front of him. 

“Such things are still rare even now, yes. But I think that it would be worthwhile for you both,” says Shuichi's father, wrinkles shifting. 

Saihara Saigen. 

The man, along with the lovely Saihara Airi, are probably the closest thing to real parents that Kokichi has ever had. Kokichi is still extremely nervous to sit in their living room despite that. He barely recalls what being here was ever like. The way that the couch and his body sink into one another can even be called relaxed. 

Kokichi's urge to bite his fingernails off is still strong. It isn't just because of the past or house buying either. Or the adoption papers or the upcoming medical stuff. 

Kokichi sighs into his tea. 

He's pretty sure that Shuichi's father knows already. 

“So, who did you have go mess with my memories?” Kokichi asks. 

Shuichi laughs brightly from inside the kitchen. 

Kokichi watches an age speckled hand rub it's owners mouth, a familiar tell that Shuichi must have learned from his father. For a moment, Kokichi wonders at how hard it must have been to have a child so late in life. 

Saigen stays quiet, but they all know that he and Airi both used to work with Team Dangan Ronpa and similar as ‘memory’ specialists. Retiring from that exact job when Shuichi was born doesn't erase it. Their expertise and past profession can't be taken away like memories. Even the house that Shuichi grew up in, that they live in still- it's from that money. 

“We went in to visit old faces and did it ourselves. It was a friend who made sure we got out clean,” the man confesses. 

More bits of conversation flow in, the sound of happy voices and splashing water settling around like blankets. Shuichi's relief is obvious, and Kokichi can't be mad, not when he'd dreaded the mere idea of putting in that request. But Kokichi still feels just as awful now. 

“You took away my ability to choose.”

Part of Kokichi wants to thank him for that. That's perhaps the worst and best thing in the end. Kokichi doesn't have to decide whether he wants to remember all the suffering he grew up drowning in, because all he will get is a timeline that he already knows of. He hates it. He hates the relief and release from self given responsibility. Kokichi hates that he's happy and how he gets to just… 

Kokichi rubs his eyes and Saigen doesn't say anything, letting Kokichi act like he isn't crying at all. The whole song and dance of playing pretend is something from that damn simulation. Right now, Kokichi almost wants to sink into a false reality. 

“I wish you hadn't. But I'm glad you did,” he eventually says. 

Saigen offers him the pot and tea and Kokichi allows him to refill the cup. 

“I don't even know why I looked into it, half the time, but I'm not going to tell on you. Might have wrecked them myself anyway,” Kokichi admits. 

Yet, both men know that Kokichi doesn't trust the older couple anymore. How can he be expected to trust them after what they've done? Whether it was for him or to him. Shuichi's parents clearly care about him, Kokichi isn't going to follow the urge to question that, but trusting them again isn't going to happen for a while. It will probably never be the same. 

Tea cups clink around the table. 

That doesn't mean that Kokichi hates them or doesn't care though. 

Saigen looks over to the kitchen doorway with gray-brown eyes. It's a wistful look, and Kokichi understands it. 

This is the only second time that Shuichi has visited his parent's home since he left the simulation. Kokichi is conflicted enough already, so there is no way in hell that Shuichi is finding out that his parents did. That. Probably a huge favor. 

Kokichi looks up and over at Shuichi's smiling face as he walks in. The smile is returned, Shuichi sits down and snuggles up to Kokichi's side. 

“Someone is happy right now,” Kokichi teases. 

Shuichi makes a nameless noise. It's cute and a bit cringey in the way that Kokichi's heart swells up from it. They should have visited before now, Kokichi thinks to himself. He returns Shuichi's half hug and grins when Shuichi's mother whispers something to her husband.

Picking up a tablet and some magazines, they get back to work. 

Distraction keeps settling over Kokichi's shoulders though, filling him with the urges to explore this faintly-in-the-guts recognized house. 

There are times when Kokichi gets hit by a deep seated nostalgia. When he gets up to go to the bathroom, when he goes into the kitchen to get something and sees an ice cream maker, and especially when he pushes Shuichi into his old room. The room itself is cleansed of merchandise, but Kokichi gets a clear vision of well cared for figures sneering down at him. Something about the bed is comforting, though. Maybe Shuichi was a cuddle bug even back then? 

He's still glad that they aren’t spending the night. It's a nice place, but Kokichi can't make himself want to hang around after dark. 

The hand holding his clenches down. 

Shuichi and Kokichi leave for their hotel, after hours of looking at houses, because an apartment ended up being not what they're looking for. So, now the two of them are genuinely looking for a house. It makes Kokichi's stomach feel all fluttery, thinking of which prefecture and what location, and the pictures end up making his eyes swim. 

The current real estate market of Japan is complex and difficult to fully navigate, but Shuichi's parents do this stuff for a living. 

Bubbles and other shit. God, the simplicity of picking the apartment never actually seemed simple until now. 

Seeing as their budget is pretty good, the places that they're looking for aren't exactly dumps. The two of them should be able to do more than afford a good place. They can look for fancy or expensive places too. But they're both very conscious of how fast money gets spent. It's near instinctual for Kokichi. Like that, it's only natural to look for a more modest place. Extravagance is a waste. 

Hunting for a house is hard for first timers though. Part of the reason why they reached out to Shuichi's parents, after all. 

A good thing too, considering that Kokichi is certain that they would have missed this place without them. 

Old is the first thing that Kokichi thinks. He even says it, making his future in-laws laugh as everyone enters the building. Shoes get replaced with slippers and Kokichi wheezes at the sight of actual genuinely real hardwood. The whole house was built during a small revival of traditional Japanese styles. 

It's only around fifty years old despite looking centuries old. Well, just style wise and not the condition. Being a bit run down looking is just part of life. 

“How much is this place again?!” he says wide eyed to Saigen. All he gets is the same listing price. 

“10,996,000 yen.”

Shuichi coughs, “I can guess how bad it might be, if that's the asking price in this location.”

Kokichi hums and remembers the pictures on the site. It hadn't looked like too much of a lemon. The interactive 3d tour had revealed a nice size and layout too. There isn't any real issue with location either, as the house is close to things like supermarkets and convenience stores, and transportation isn't an issue either. It is more rural though… 

Then Kokichi sees something black swish in a corner. Again. His eyes narrow, and Shuichi gets forced forward as a meat shield by his loving fiance. 

Airi chuckles behind them. She and Saigen must have already talked to the owners of the property. Probably an agent too, but who cares about some ambiguous dude character? 

Kokichi follows the mysterious swish down a fairly long hallway. All the while, Shuichi and his parents talk about the house while Kokichi occasionally butt in. 

It goes like, ‘ah yes the local brewery’ and also ‘the schools are very good here’ until ‘I'm pretty sure that the bathroom just now is more haunted than Rantarou's dating attempts’. 

Finally, Kokichi is leading the charge into a closet in the very traditional living room. It even has one of those tea fire pit things! 

But more important than Kokichi's basically shit word recall… 

Shuichi ends up open the closest instead, revealing a large black house cat with maybe six kittens. The momma cat gives them a tired look and floors down for her swarming babies. They immediately jump her. 

“Holy shit give me the keys, it is sold.” Kokichi says in one breath. 

A kitten wiggles with still closed eyes. It mewls. 

“Seriously,” he turns to the three Saiharae behind him. “This belongs to me now.”

Airi’s chuckle evolves into a full blown fit of cackling. Her arms wrap around her middle, and Saigen pats her back as his son frets. Kokichi walks over and grins at the three. He holds his arms out and says-

“Now tell me every little thing wrong with it!”

Shuichi’s eyes widen when his father pulls out an entire list consisting of little to smallish things. He glances over at Kokichi, to which Kokichi grins further, before he sighs and takes the paper of Not Good Stuff into his hands. 

It's a fun day. 

“Well, it looks like there's an entire colony of cats that live centered around this particular home,” Airi later stages whispers, the four of them having gone out to a small restaurant.

“That is the biggest perk for me though,” Kokichi says. 

Shuichi is out with Saigen talking about price negotiations. Kokichi would be out there with him if not for how damn hungry he is. Stuff just gets like that sometimes. 

Smiling, they continue to chat. There's a vague awkwardness between Kokichi and his, by next June, parents. Which is completely weird to say no matter what, but hey. 

Airi sets aside her soba noodles, “I was going to hold off for a bit… but you two are planning on adopting?”

Kokichi slowly nods and watches Airi smile. She's a good decade and a half younger than her husband, and Kokichi is pretty sure that there's a story there. 

Another time. 

“That's great! Things aren't as bad as when I was younger- it should be much easier for you two than it was for my parents.”

“O-oh?” he blinks, chopsticks mid air. 

Airi chuckles again and Kokichi sets his chopsticks down entirely. 

“Are there any kind of tips you could tell us? Maki and some other people are already giving more personal advice, but,” Kokichi trails off in the end. 

She sighs, her smile becoming full of old memories, “Don't shy away from adopting an older kid. It'll be harder, yes, and I don't think you'd write them off- but it was worth it for both my parents and myself.” 

“And the paperwork is awful too, no matter what. Even another century of progress won't change that.”

They share a small laugh, because wow if it isn't true. Paperwork is always hell. Even the damn VR console had had some bullshit to fill out. 

The old woman's hand gently pats his own. 

“Not to say that adopting younger is bad either. There are a lot of babies…” Airi continues. 

Kokichi nods, remembering Maki talk about both versions of her orphanage. Even back when Japan’s birthrate were low, there had been places entirely dedicated to housing babies given up by their parents. It almost makes Kokichi glad that his falsified memories have him living some cliche ‘abused kid runs away and finds a family’ fantasy. 

“I'm most afraid of making horrible mistakes,” he confesses. “I'm scared that I'll end up hurting them.”

And he doesn't have to explain what that means- Airi inhales slowly, arms wrapping around him and bringing soft jasmine perfume with them. 

“I still think the same thing. Even though the whole damn world has gotten better, I know that it must have been our fault.”

Kokichi laughs. 

“Shuichi-”

“Not just Shuichi, Kokichi.”

Because how can I not blame myself when I could have helped you back then? Kokichi knows to hear. 

There's nothing that Kokichi can say to that, but the feeling comes back for the first time in years. 

The feeling that he had back then, waking up after dying, blinking aching eyes as his pod opened up. He'd been tried and awake all at once as muddled thought swam through his drugged body. Doctors and TEAM-DR labeled people told him that it was for psychosomatic pain and backlash. Kokichi didn't believe a single speck of it. Especially when the one asshole called him by a name unused for years, obviously just to get a rise. 

Desperate tactics for a doomed ship. 

Kokichi still remembers the sight of Miu punching someone right in the face. Should have had the foresight to drug her too, but instead some stupid technician got a broken nose. 

“I can't really blame you two for that,” Kokichi says. 

Airi disengages from him. It's a bit disorientating, feeling her warmth leave and seeing the normally bright woman tend to her noodles.

“You should.”

Maybe, Kokichi's tapping fingers say. But he doesn't want to. 

Kokichi wants to move on from it. Kicking and screaming, he's going to drag that cringing and faceless child out of the depths of his heart. He wants to continue to give it a name. To own it and make it his until Kokichi is all that remains. Because memories or not- it's his life. That will always be part of him. 

Unsaid words hang between them in the back booth of a cozy restaurant. In a little bit, somewhere not public, Kokichi and his mother can continue. 

There's too much to say over just dinner. 

“Aaahhh, I just want a bath!” Kokichi leans back and groans. A duo of tired smiles fill the air. 

Fake leather squeaks and the sound of eating starts once more, quiet waiting for the other two Saihara men to finish their own conversation. 

By the slightly pinched looks on their faces, paired with no bad news on the house, Kokichi can guess. 

But Shuichi doesn't seem to be in a state of much turmoil. Kokichi reaches under the table and gives his hand a squeeze. The smile he gets in return is tight. Too tight. Hmmm! 

“Anyway! I was thinking about that medical tattooing stuff and how early it can happen? And I was thinking about what kind of look Shumai might prefer? So, last night I asked since surgery is next month and Miu is almost done her Big Invention project,” Kokichi starts babbling. 

Shuichi's red ears and slight pout fill Kokichi's vision. 

Yeah. The world now is definitely worth it.

**Author's Note:**

> I had very different plans for this, and this was actually the first fic idea I had for Saiou Week. It was originally going to be Shuichi and Kokichi on one of those house hunting shows. But real life got away from me, and now I wrote this in the last two days, instead of the early start I did with all the other ones. I would kind of like to apologize for using OCs so heavily though. I just couldn't find a way to avoid it once I started with Kokichi confronting Shuichi's father. 
> 
> I also hope I didn't make Kokichi come off as too forgiving here. He doesn't, really, but it's a complex situation for everyone. 
> 
> Also, I didn't go into the specifics of the house. I did hours of research and didn't even get to fully put it in. Tarnations. I might do an update for this and the birthday party fic. I really want to write the actual party qwq. 
> 
> I've given a lot of time to learning about Japan, throughout the years. I think I'd like to go there, but not live there. The reasons why I'll probably touch more on in another fic.


End file.
